# National Health Commission

The National Health Commission (NHC) is a cabinet-level executive department of the State Council of the People's Republic of China which is responsible for formulating national health policies. It was formed on 19 March 2018. The ministry is headquartered in Beijing. The commission is led by a Minister of cabinet rank in the state council. Lei Haichao is the current Minister in charge of the Commission and Party Branch Secretary. Its predecessor was the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

## History

Throughout most of PRC's rule since 1954, the national health portfolio has been the responsibility of the Ministry of Health; superseded in 2013 by the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
In March 2018, the Government of the People's Republic of China announced that the National Health and Family Planning Commission was dissolved and that its functions were integrated into the new agency, the National Health Commission.
China is a member of the World Health Organization. Minister Ma reported in the 92nd World Health Assembly, since 1978, China has been focused on improving primary healthcare, develop universal safety net for residents and improving the quality, efficiency and access to primary health care.
The commission has a role in providing foreign aid through its coordination of China's overseas medical teams.$^{:73}$

### 2020 coronavirus epidemic

The commission is the lead agency in mainland China coordinating the national efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 11 February 2020, in order to manage the ongoing health crisis, the following changes were announced by the NHC:
* Zhang Jin, chief of the Hubei health commission, was replaced by Wang Hesheng, the deputy director of China National Health Commission.
* Liu Yingzi, director of the Hubei health commission, was replaced by Wang Hesheng.
In December 2022, a week after the NHC said it would no longer release official death tolls from Covid, the NHC said that "China has always been publishing information on Covid-19 deaths and severe cases in the spirit of openness and transparency."

## Subordinate agencies

The following agencies directly report to the commission.

### Sub-ministry-level executive agencies of the State Council administered by the NHC

* National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
* National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention

### Institutions directly under the NHC

* Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
* Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences a.k.a. Peking Union Medical College

### Hospitals directly under the NHC

* Beijing Hospital [zh]
* China-Japan Friendship Hospital
* Peking Union Medical College Hospital

## List of ministers

Ministers of National Health :
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office |
| 1 | Li Dequan | October 1949 | January 1965 |
| 2 | Qian Xinzhong | January 1965 | June 1968 |
| 3 | Qiu Guoguang | June 1968 | June 1970 |
| 4 | Chen Renhong | June 1970 | July 1973 |
| 5 | Liu Xiangping | July 1973 | October 1976 |
| vacant ||||
| 6 | Jiang Yizhen | November 1977 | April 1979 |
| (2) | Qian Xinzhong | April 1979 | May 1982 |
| 7 | Cui Yueli | May 1982 | March 1987 |
| 8 | Chen Minzhang | March 1987 | March 1998 |
| 9 | Zhang Wenkang | March 1998 | April 2003 |
| 10 | Wu Yi | April 2003 | April 2005 |
| 11 | Gao Qiang | April 2005 | June 2007 |
| 12 | Chen Zhu | June 2007 | 16 March 2013 |
Ministers in charge of the National Health and Family Planning Commission :
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office |
| 1 | Li Bin | 16 March 2013 | March 2018 |
Ministers in charge of the National Health Commission :
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| 1 | Ma Xiaowei | 19 March 2018 | 6 May 2024 | |
| 2 | Lei Haichao | 28 June 2024 | incumbent | |